by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are all about creating content that provides you value, inspiration, entertainment, and (hopefully) some joy! It’s about “Giving First” and we are big believers! But we have heard that sometimes, it’s hard to keep up. We get that. And while it’s totally okay if you are not able to see every piece of content we create, we don’t want it to be because of a lack of effort on our part. So I wanted to take just a moment to highlight a few pieces of content we are consistently cranking out.
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The Monday Minute
Each Monday we create a motivational video for PromoCorner. The idea is to give you a quick boost of motivation to start your week off on the right foot. And because it’s quick-hitting…we hope you can find the time! If you have never taken the time to listen, you can find them all right here. Feel free to binge-watch them all and get fired up!
In Stock and Ready to Rock
As we write this, inventory is a challenge in nearly every industry. We have been talking about it a lot because we want to spare you some stress and headaches. But we didn’t want to just complain…that’s not our deal. So we created the “In Stock and Ready to Rock” shop. Each week we will feature one item that has deep stock and is ready to be branded with your organization’s logo! Click here to check out the latest!
The Kirby Hasseman Blog
Each week I work to create a personal development article that might help you move your business in the right direction. I often file these under “messages I need to hear,” as they resonate with salespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders that want to level up. Here is my most recent (as I write this) about 3 Things To Do Every Day if you want to be more productive and happier. If you enjoy that one…there’s plenty more where that came from!
Delivering Marketing Joy
This is what I call the “OG” of our online content. With over 350 episodes, that means we have been doing Delivering Marketing Joy for nearly 7 years. Every Wednesday we interview leaders, marketers, entrepreneurs, and authors from (quite literally) all over the world. This is one of the pieces that updates to our blog page each week, but you can head here to binge hundreds of episodes on PromoCorner.
Thirsty Thursday
One of our newest pieces of content has quickly become one of our most popular! Each week we try a mystery drink in a different piece of branded merchandise. Sometimes the drinks are good…but not often! The reactions and the cool branded merchandise make it all worth while. This is posted on our Facebook page and is just one reason why you should follow us if you are not already. Watch the latest episode here!
Oh…and if you are interested in any of these pieces of drinkware for your organization, you can head to our shop here!
Fashion Friday
Each week we have some fun featuring a simple apparel piece for our Fashion Friday! This is another Facebook/Instagram exclusive, so head here and give us a follow.
Ohio’s Heart
Finally, I want to highlight Ohio’s Heart. Some of you may remember that we created OhiosHeart.com to highlight positive things going on in our region. While I have been a bit distracted from this site, I still believe it has a great opportunity to spread the good word! So we have been posting more to it recently (like this drone footage of a local expansion)…and I want to continue that trend. So if your organization has some good news, please feel free to share with us! Please add us to the list of press releases you are sending out to lift up the good news!
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by Kirby Hasseman
I was on a call with a bunch of amazing content creators the other day and the topic of “re-posting content” bubbled to the surface. The people on this call are talented. They create great content that is created for the audience. They “give first.” That is to say, they create content that provides value. Even this group struggles with this simple question.
Is It Okay To Post Content More Than Once?
Let’s start with the assumption that the content is evergreen. In other words, it’s a blog post, podcast, or video that is just as timely today as it was when it was created. We also can assume that it was well-done.
If the answer to both of those questions is “yes,” then the answer is very simple. Yes.
To me, this is a funny discussion. And the reason most people struggle with it is a combination of hubris and insecurity. It’s a funny mix, I know. The hubris comes from the idea that everyone has already seen the content. Intellectually, we know this is not true. Even the best blog post is not read by even a tiny percent of the population! That is why I mentioned the group of content creators. This group understands the metrics better than most. Most of the time, we are frustrated because only our “25 readers” are seeing our blog post. But somehow we can’t repost it because “everyone has already read it.”
That is silly. If you believe the post has value to your audience…share it again.
But that leads to the second reason, our insecurity. We don’t want to re-post because we are fearful we will get called out. Or even worse, we think people will notice and think we are being insincere. These fake opinions of imaginary people hold many people back in life. Don’t let them hold you back from sharing (or re-sharing) your content in the world.
- We watch movies and television shows again all of the time.
- The same commercial airs on a loop, and no one thinks the advertiser is not being creative.
- Facebook has even created “memories” to share because we like revisiting things from the past.
So set yourself free from the chains of insecurity. If you have a great piece of content, share it with the world…again and again.
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by Kirby Hasseman
So here we are in 2020. A lot has been made about the “unprecedented times” we are living. But here we are. As I have said before, we need to stop talking about things getting “back to normal.” The reality is, we don’t know when that might happen. We do need to take an honest look at where we are…and start working to succeed from here.
We need businesses to get rolling again. I mean, we NEED it. But you might be asking “how do I market our business in 2020?” Times have changed. People have changed. We need to consider that as we tell our organizations’s story today. So here are some things I see working (right now) to market your business in the world we live in.
Direct Mail
In a world where people are less likely to leave their home, direct mail has become more effective. Yes, it’s a bit old school, but it’s a low cost way to reach the masses right where they are. And if you can create a creative, valuable offer, you have a real chance to stand out in a mailbox full of bills.
Email
One of my favorite things that Joe Pulizzi says is that we are very comfortable ( as marketers) with “rented lists.” The radio, tv station or Facebook owns the list…and we just rent access. But a real, vetted email list of people who have subscribed to what you have to say is a list that you own. You get to decide when you send it, what they see, and who gets to see it. You have to provide value, or that audience can opt out. But there is real power in owning the list. And I am not sure how long it will last, but email open rates have actually gone up during this pandemic. Give value through your email list and you can make an impact in 2020.
Postive Content on Social
In this 2020 world of arguing politics, racial divides, mean spirited debates and complaining, your organization has a chance to stand out. Just create content that is nice! Regardless of the content platform, most of us are starved for something that provides us joy and inspiration. If you and your organization can show up like that (consistently), you have the chance to gain a real audience and a real following.
Branded Merchandise Kits
You don’t need me to tell you, but the traditional way we see our customers and employees has changed right now. Many events have been cancelled. Trade shows have been put on hold. Heck, even the idea of going to work has shifted (it’s hard to believe March was only like 4 months ago). With that in mind, Branded Merchandise kits can be an EXTREMELY powerful tool to reach your target audience. When done right, branded merchandise kits can improve brand affinity, affect behavior, help company culture, and yes, get people to pick up the phone. I talk about one of my clients using branded merch to replace an event they were holding here. If you have your team working from home, there is a kit for that. What if your team is coming back to work? You can create kit to (safely) welcome them back. What about creating an online conference and mailing attendees some cool swag to get them fired up? The possibilities are limitless.
Online Learning
I have been a believer is providing value first in marketing for a long time. Heck, I wrote a whole book about it! Well 2020 is a great time to do just that. Create online learning to provide value to your clients. Our friends at Commonsku created an amazing online conference to do that for their clients and over 800 people attended. It was awesome. That is the inspiration for us creating Hasseman U. We also spent some time creating a FREE 5 Day Marketing Course for anyone that wants to take it. The idea is to provide value for your clients in a new way. When you do that during this time, you have the chance to build real trust with customers and prospects, and come out stronger on the other side.
Those are just 5 ways that I see companies successfully marketing in 2020. I hope this gets your wheels turning! While these are not necessarily prescriptive for your business, what I will say is, now is not the time for business as usual. It’s a great time to really consider how you want to tell your story moving forward.
Good luck!
Want more content? Head to our blog page here for more.
by Kirby Hasseman
With some extra time on your hands during the pandemic, many people have decided to create content for their business and personal brand. I am excited to see the increase in activity in video, podcasts and blogs all over the business world. I think it’s a great use of time, and a great way to use this time to create long term business value. But as you start on your content journey (or if you are just considering it now), it’s important to not just “run and gun” your content. Here are a few questions to consider to make your content marketing pop.
Does This Answer a Question Or Concern of My Customers?
When I speak to business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs about creating content, one of their concerns is where to start. What topic should I cover? What should I write about? The easiest place to start is to make a list of questions that your customers and prospects ask all of the time about your product or service. You probably already have the answers, because you handle them all of the time. If you can write a blog or create a video that answers that question you probably have a good piece of content.
But I think it’s important that this is not just a sales video. It’s not an ad. So many people create videos that say they are answering a question, but it’s really a full blown marketing pitch that only sells their own product. The idea is that you create value by answering a real question and add value to the customer. Once you have created value in the customer’s mind, and built trust, that is a great time to offer your product or service as a potential solution to the customer’s problem.
Does This Have a Point of View?
The famous Sports Talk Radio Host Jim Rome has a mantra he says to his callers. “Have a take…and don’t suck.” That might be good advice if you are calling a radio show, but these are great words of wisdom if you are creating content. Have an opinion. The idea of content marketing, in many ways, is to establish you or your brand as the expert. We go to experts for their opinion on matters. These experts have earned the right. That’s you. You have put in the work to be the expert in your area. So if you are going to take my time with a piece of content, have a point of view. Have a take. And don’t suck.
Is This Created With My Customers in Mind?
Many marketers and entrepreneurs have a “Toby Keith” problem with their marketing. They “wanna talk about me” all of the time. When we focus all of our marketing or our content on our own company, we lose sight of what is important…meeting the needs of our customer. The best content is created wit the customer in mind. It answers a question they need. It educates them to help them do their job better or make their lives easier.
Donald Miller talks about this in his great book Building Your StoryBrand. Many companies make themselves the hero of their story. It’s a mistake. As Miller says, in your marketing (and your content) you should position the customer as the hero of the story and your company should be the guide. So your customer is Luke Skywalker and your company is Obi Wan.
These are just a few questions to consider when creating a piece of content…and you want to make it pop. I think questions can be very powerful to lead us the right direction (I talk about more good questions here). If you have more questions about Content Marketing, check out Joe Pulizzi’s great book Content Inc on the subject here.
Thanks for reading! We will keep the content coming for you! If you want to catch up, you can head to our blog page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
For over 3 years, Bill Petrie and I have been sharing our opinions on the marketing, branding and promotional products world on the unScripted podcast. Every Friday, Bill and I connect through the magic of technology, and discuss trending topics in our world. We call it unScripted, quite simply, because neither of us knows what the other is going to bring up so you get an honest, unedited view of our opinions and takes on industry topics.
I am proud of the podcast for several reasons. We have been recognized with awards (humble brag). We have received kind words from our peers. And hey, it’s been fun! But the journey has taught me quite a bit as well. So, if you are interested in starting a podcast or any other kind of content, here are some lessons I have learned from doing the unScripted podcast with Bill Petrie.
Consistency is King
One of the things I am probably most proud of is that we push play each week. As I write this, it will be week 162 of the unScripted podcast. That means we have put out a podcast for 162 weeks in a row. It’s a commitment. But it’s that consistency that has not only built an audience but has helped Bill and I grow. We got better at podcasting. We got better at choosing topics. It’s just like exercise. It’s about stretching and working those muscles that make you stronger.
Have Someone Who Pushes You
I am a believer in consistency. But we would have never made it through this many episodes without Bill driving me. It’s so powerful to have someone who helps to keep you on track. Bill has been an incredible teacher, coach and friend through this and I appreciate it. If you want to try something big, and crazy and hard (and you should), it’s great to have someone who pushes you and lifts you up. Thanks Bill.
Be Authentic and Transparent
I almost did not add this one because it’s almost cliche at this point. But if you want to create something long term, it’s nearly impossible to be someone you are not. Sooner or later, your real opinions will come through anyway! So be willing to put yourself out there.
Have the Courage of your Convictions
Some of the most interesting discussions we have had on the podcast (and then after) have been when Bill or I said something that upset people. While that is certainly NOT our goal, we do want to create discussion and thought. Whenever this happens, Bill and I both take the time to be introspective about our statements. Do we really think that way? If not, I think both of us are willing to say “Nah…I was wrong.” On the other hand, if we still feel strongly about something, I think that’s important too. Despite the reactive culture we have right now, I think we need to stand up for what we think as well. Trust me when I say, sometimes that is easier said than done.
Lift The Other Person Up
Partnerships of any kind can be hard. With that in mind, remember if you start something like this that “you are in the service industry.” It is really important that neither Bill nor I worry too much about credit. That is easier said than done! We all have healthy egos…and we all want recognition. But if you want a partnership to last remember that it should not matter who gets the credit.
Continue to Try New Things
If you create something that requires consistency, there is the chance you can get in a rut. That’s why it’s so important to be willing to try new things. Be willing to experiment with your format. Be willing to try new things and fail in order to find new things that work. If you don’t…it’s easy to get stale.
Keep Going
And that leads nicely to my final lesson…keep going. If it gets stale, or you get tired, it’s super tempting to think “maybe now is the time to quit.” And while it’s important to keep evaluating (in all things) I would recommend to keep pushing on. Most of the time that is the voice of comfort in your head. It’s easier to quit than to persevere. Most of the time, however, you are glad when you keep moving forward…even if it’s just for one more day.
Those are my lessons from the unScripted podcast. Again, thanks to Bill for helping me keep this train rolling! If you have questions about content marketing, please feel free to reach out to me. And if you want make sure you never miss a piece of content head to our blog page.
